For children with chronic medical conditions, being stuck in a hospital can be, at times, scary, stressful, lonely and even mind-numbingly boring. But at Miami Children's Hospital, young patients and their families will be able to channel those feelings into creative art projects during two hourlong programs each month that will also feature storytelling and puppetry.
The Creative Care program is the latest outreach effort from ArtCenter/South Florida, a local artists group that will celebrate its 30th anniversary next year. The group already provides free weekly art classes at the Mount Sinai Comprehensive Cancer Center, Miami Beach, and the Memorial Cancer Institute, Hollywood, Fla.
The program at Miami Children's is designed to allow young patients the chance to experience cultural offerings right where they're undergoing treatment—as well as work on their fine motor skills through activities such as sculpture, painting and drawing. And art therapy also helps children cope with the depression and anxiety that can accompany a long hospital stay.
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